You can choose your desired flavour for the chicken, either Herbs or Portuguese. The former is more mild I guess but the latter is spicy and has more kick to it. Heh. I really like the Portuguese chicken. It is cooked with well-mixed spices and slight tinge of spiciness in it. I don't really know how to describe the taste, probably because I am not Portuguese. HAHA. But the chicken tastes good! And it's not VERY spicy, so it's not so bad for those who cannot tolerate spicy food so much like me! You can also choose the size of your chicken as well, so mine is 1/4. You can opt for bigger size (1/2 chicken) at a higher price :)

As you can see from the photo of the menu above, the meal you choose determines your sides. And they have soooo many sides! Yay! I decided to have Cobba Meal consisting of chicken, corn cob and generous amount of chips. The chips / fries are drizzled with some sort of powder, so it's like shaker fries. Without having to shake, of course. Hehe. Oh, and the corn cob tastes really refreshing! It is brushed with a good amount of butter in it too and it is really fresh. Tip: eat it with your hands! :D

Sampler Plate

The Sampler Plate, my friend, is the FATHER of all plates.

In case you can't seem to decide what to eat or you feel like eating both ribs AND chicken, get the sampler plate! For less than $20, the sampler plate consists of 1/2 signature Charco's Ribs, 1/8 Herbs Chicken, 1/8 Portuguese Chicken, 1 Creme Potato and 1 Salad of your choice (I like the tuna pasta!). Awesome right having almost everything on the menu?! :D

For those of you who love ribs, Charco's ribs are definitely a must-try. Very tender meat, succulent and juicy! The sauce is slightly sweet and the ribs seriously demand you to use your hands to eat them up!

Creme Potato

Creme Potato is one of the sides Charco's offers. I really love anything related to potatoes and Creme Potato is one of them! Creme Potato by Charco's contains slightly chopped soft-boiled potatoes drenched in a bowl of creme sauce with a slight drizzle of their signature chilli-like powder. It's best when it's eaten hot and it makes you full, really!

Ambience & Service

The ambience is very local. What more can I say, since Charco's is located at the infamous Teh Tarik Eating House. Hence, the ambience is similar to a typical brightly lit Teh Tarik outlet. The service is okay too. The waiter served our orders not long after we placed our orders so we were very delighted to see our meals served in a jiffy!

Budget

Hmm, perhaps around $10-$20? FYI, the chicken is much cheaper than ribs! Do check out their menu online :)

Recommended for

Those who love western food, particularly good, affordable ribs! :D

Nearby praying area(s)

1) Musollah behind the eating place

Yup, there's a musollah behind this Teh Tarik outlet! Just walk towards the direction behind, somewhere near the cooking areas of the stalls. The musollah is separated for men and women. When in doubt, just ask any of the workers okay!

Take your ablution at the toilet nearby :)

2) Muttaqin Mosque

Take any bus towards Ang Mo Kio Interchange and alight when you see the mosque. It is not very far.

Here you go, 4 ice creams for Charco's! Posting about Charco's makes me crave for some chicken at this hour sigh sigh sighhhh.

Okay, that's all for now. All the best for end of year exams for the younger kids, N/O/A Level exams for slightly older kids and never-ending assignments, research papers and projects for the old kids! :D

Friday, 27 September 2013

Okay this post will be a long one. You'll be astonished to see the amount of food I'll talk about. Trust me, we did not order ALL of them at one go, okay! Haha, I was there four times in less than two months. Twice with my Food Buddy, once with my siblings and also once with my friends. That explains how much I love this place! Good food is worth coming back for moreeee. Hehe ;)

I frequent the outlet at West Coast Plaza rather regularly. I have a straight bus from home and the best thing is, it is located VERY near to school. Yes, my dear fellow NUS mates, food haven is just a few bus stops away! Board bus 189 from Kent Ridge Bus Terminal behind Arts AS7 or alternatively, you can wait for the shuttle bus to West Coast Plaza at certain timings. It is THAT simple!

Review of food

Very fatty fish meat!

Their specialty is Fish Head Curry. I am not a fan of fish head myself (my Food Buddy is!) but surprisingly, the fish meat tastes really good. The element that stands out is the gravy and I must applaud the chef who cooks the curry gravy.The curry is not a typical curry taste but it is an amazing, well-blended fusion of mild curry with a tinge of laksa in it. It is very unique, I must say! There are also dried tofu and long beans in the gravy. But warning: the curry gravy is really spicy! :B

For those who loves spicy food, this is definitely a must-try for your fiery taste buds!

There are other dishes as well. Feast your eyes.................

Tom Yam Chicken (with generous amount of chicken chunks!)

Hotplate Black Pepper Beef

Oats Prawn

Pandan Leaf Chicken

Sambal Kangkong

Chye Poh Omelette

Our parents always tell us not to judge a book by its cover, but trust me, the dishes are as amazing as they look! It is worth every dollar. The Tom Yam (very spicy okay!) soup has generous amounts of chicken as seen in the photo and served hot. The beef is very soft and easy to chew. And the prawns! Very meaty with a lot of oats on top of it. Chye Poh Omelette is a bit salty though, but it tastes well especially with all the spicy food. Hahaha even if you're not really into spicy food, these dishes are a worth every tear you shed and every sweat that drips! :D (well that happened to me lol)

If you are not in the mood for any seafood, fret not! West Co'z also has noodles as well. Seafood Fried Kway Teow (you can opt for beef too) is slightly spicy but it tastes good and very filling. The portion is rather BIG! I love the Seafood Crispy Egg Noodles too. Perfect for rainy days and less greasy :) The noodles are crunchy yet easy to chew, the gravy is light and not so overpowering. Oh, the amount is seafood is generous too! I am beginning to think that the chefs and kitchen helpers have a lot of time because the prawns are already naked haha! There is no need to remove the shells because they have been removed for you. Just have to put them in your mouth!

Last but definitely not the least....... DESSERTS! (Told you it's going to be a long post hahaha)

Aloe Vera Longan with so many oversized aloe vera bits! (BAIK AHH!!)

Thai Red Ruby with a rich amount of red rubies!

The desserts list is rather limited since they only have Thai Red Ruby and Aloe Vera Longan/Lychee. But the amount they give in the bowl is so huge! I am beginning to think that the people there deliberately want to make me gain more weight I think..............

Let me focus your attention on the Thai Red Ruby! My Food Buddy and I have been searching everywhere for some good bowl of red ruby for dessert and we have finally found it! West Co'z Cafe serves a generous bowl of red rubies in a pool of sinful coconut milk. Such precious gems......

The place is very simple and...... cozy. It lives up to its name! It can be very very packed especially during weekends so please do visit this place on a weekday yeah? The service is good too. In general, the staffs are friendly, polite and thoughtful. One of them even offered another chair for our colossal school bags when my Food Buddy I were sitting on the table for two. Such a nice lady! :')

Budget

Single meals such as the noodles are typically priced ($4-5) and since it is quite a big portion, it is very worth it! Seafood wise, it is not very expensive either but you can check out the online menu! Prices are included in it :) If you are planning to have a seafood fiesta, do check up the prices first, okay!

Recommended for

EVERYONE. Haha I think I sound very excited and biased, but I really love this place :D Oh, it is amazing for family dinners as well. I witness many families coming to the place to have sumptuous dinner at the place. West Co'z indeed! (I pronounce it as West Co-Zee)

Nearby praying area(s)

1) Darussalam Mosque

Just take either bus 175, 189 or 282 from the bus stop across West Coast Plaza. Alight two bus stops after that (if I remember correctly) and walk to the mosque.

Alternatively, we prayed at some staircase area at West Coast Plaza itself. Remember to bring your praying mats and telekungs for the ladies! :)

West Co'z Cafe is truly amazing. Giving the place 5 ice creams is an embarrassing understatement that cannot be justified at all, really!

Friday, 13 September 2013

FINALLY. Finally some time for me to blog about foooood! Sorry for the unforeseen hiatus everybody! School has been a pain recently......... :(

But I hope school has been good for you, kids! :D

Anyway now we go central! Woohoo! Satay and iceballs anyone?

After a long day spent at Gardens By The Bay, my Food Buddy and I were in search for a place to have dinner. So we headed to Satay By The Bay! Anyway I heard that the satay there are not bad so we decided to give it a try! I actually thought there is a monopoly of satay at the place but I was wrong! There are a few stalls selling satay actually, not just one.

After some satay, we headed to Singapore Flyer for some traditional ice ball. I found out about this dessert stall beforehand and I told my Food Buddy that we MUST eat some traditional ice ball some day. And when is the best time to have some sweeet, goodies-packed ice balls? After satay of course! :D

Review of food

The satays are from a stall named 'Sri Geylang Sate.' The satay was really juicy and delicious! Especially when it is still warm and freshly grilled............... YUM YUM. The satay is soft (especially for beef!) and quite chunky. The shops also sells grilled prawn which is very very very delicious. It has a nice barbeque aroma and is really fresh! The moment I place it inside my mouth, I am floating~ But the cumbersome part is, you need to peel the prawn shells first! But well, good things come to those who wait and peel the shell lah hor :p Oh, the ooomphh factor is definitely the satay sauce! It is served warm and it is a little spicy to me. Hahahahaha but still, satay dipped in the satay sauce it is a good combination. Really............ foodgasmic. I don't know how to put it, but you know, some food taste even better when it is spicy, no?

Disclaimer: our spicy tolerance levels vary among different individuals and I must say mine is rather low. So what is NOT spicy to others might be VERY spicy to me! HEH HEH.

So after some sumptuous satay, time for some ice balls!

The food court at Singapore Flyer is called 'Singapore Food Trail.' Not many halal food I guess. We were there quite late but thank goodness, the dessert stall was still open! I love the vintage feel to this place. Really. Very appealing to my historical senses. HAHA. Anyway the ice ball is just like an ice kacang, just that it is shaped into a ball. The goodies are inside! Just like a kinder surprise! It is definitely something different from the typical mountain of an ice kacang! I remember feeling happy eating and savouring every moment of it because but the ice ball is really gooood. It is sweet and appeals to my sweet tooth yay! The filling inside is generous too so it is definitely a must-try!

Ambience & Service

For Satay By The Bay, the ambience is very local, I guess. Service is alright too and it does not take very long for the food to arrive. Oh my favourite ambience is definitely at Singapore Food Trail. The ambience and interior decor are breathtaking. Very nostalgic. From the floor, the street markings, the lighting to makeshift stalls............. Really amazing. Just like the good old days. Okay, maybe my grandparents days. I was so close to understand what it feels like indulging on an ice ball in the 1960s. As if I time-traveled back to the past.

(From Google Images)

I am such a history geek, whooops! But trust me, with or without love for history, you'll love this place too! Something different once in a while ;)

Budget

Oooooo warning! Haha we actually burnt a hole in our wallets. The satay at Satay By The Bay costs 70 cents per stick, while each prawn satay costs a whopping $2! The ice ball costs around $2-$3. Well, I am very sure it was way way wayyyy cheaper in the 60s! o_o

So only head to these places either when:

1) you just received your pay (or allowance for students like me)

2) you are lucky enough to get vouchers somehow

3) you are even luckier to get sponsors from your loved ones! (well, everyone loves free food!)

Recommended for

I still feel that Satay By The Bay and Singapore Flyer Food Trail are perfect for gatherings! Very localized. But as aforementioned, only head to these places when you have the kechingz. I am sure other food courts like the ones at East Coast Park, Geylang Adam Road and West Coast etc sell cheaper delicious satay. So far, I am not sure of other places that sell traditional ice balls though.

Nearby praying area (s)

We were at Gardens By The Bay the entire day and we did most of our prayers in the baby rooms so we didn't venture to the mosques. But I actually did some research and saw a friend of mine posting about a musollah at Marina Bay Sands Convention Centre, Level 3. That is the nearest I guess :) Alternatively, you can also plan your prayer timings properly. Marina Square also has a musollah at the basement of green-labelled carpark and not forgetting, Masjid Haji Muhammad Salleh/Makam Habib Noh is pretty nearby.

Till next time! Thank you for reading this blog and thank you for being patient with my slow updates :)

I love Yong Tau Foo and this has got to be my most favourite eating place in the West so far. So so good and affordable too :) Best thing is both their outlets are in the West and very convenient for a Westsider like me! Yay!!!

Da Jie Niang Dou Fu (don't you think the name is kinda mouthful? Hahaha) is the only place in Singapore that serves various styles of Yong Tau Foo! You can choose from Hakka, Ampang, Laksa, Tom Yam, Black Bean served with a generous amount of sambal. Unique place with excellent consumer choice! (chey chey this reminds me of Econs haha)

Definitely a place to go to when you wanna try something different instead of the simple soup kind. But they still do serve the typical soup style for the Yong Tau Foo and the soup they cook is healthy Soya Bean soup! And of course it is................ halal ;)

Review of food

Ampang Yong Tau Foo

The Ampang sauce is a mixture of mostly sweet and a lil bit sour. The ingredients are deep-fried and drenched with the Ampang sauce. If you are not afraid to try something new, Ampang is easy on the taste buds but still capable of making you come back for more! You can choose to eat with noodles (yellow/bee hoon/kway teow/laksa noodle) or even rice. If you are not afraid to try something new, Ampang is for you!

Next is everyone's favourite and something more familiar....................................... *drumrolls*

Laksa Yong Tau Foo!!

What more can I say? I love anything to do with Laksa. And let me tell you, the Laksa gravy here is super duper deliciousssss! The ingredients are boiled and cooked together with the Laksa but some ingredients (like the chicken seaweed placed on top) is fried and not soaked in the gravy. The Laksa gravy is rich in its coconut milk (Malays call it 'berlemak' I think hehe yummy!) and spicily goooooood! I love it so much! :D

There are also other styles like Hakka, Tom Yam, Black Bean etc. On top of that, Da Jie Niang Dou Fu also serves halal Chinese dishes and cuisines which have received good testimonials from the public. Do check out their website for their online menu here: http://www.dajie.com.sg/our-menu/.

For my fellow NUS schoolmates, this is even better than the Yong Tau Foo stall at Foodclique, trust me! And I believe Da Jie Niang Dou Fu is located somewhat convenient for most students studying in nearby institutions like Singapore Poly, NUS, Ngee Ann Poly, SIM etc.

Very localized and considered comfortable :) A rather simple eating place, I must say.

Budget

$4-5 should be enough I guess for a bowl of Yong Tau Foo and a drink. $3.60 for 6 pieces of ingredients unless stated for some ingredients like cuttlefish etc. And if you would like to have more than 6 ingredients in your Yong Tau Foo, you are charged for every extra ingredient you take :)